Illumination



June 20, 1939. I DESCQERE 2,163,273

ILLUMINATION Filed May 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR HARVEY 05:01am

ATTORNEY June 20, 1939. H. DESCHERE ILLUMINATION Filed May 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HARVEY flEJCb ERE A Patented June 20, 1939 PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATION Harvey Deschere, New York, N. Y., assignor to Julian B. Beaty, Rye, N. Y.

Application May 18, 1936, Serial No. 80,437

6 Claims.

This invention relates to illumination and more particularly to the control of light emitted by an incandescent lamp bulb.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an illuminating unit for the efficient control of light from the incandescent bulb, that will be inexpensive to manufacture, simple and inexpensive to maintain in actual use, dependable in action, .and, furthermore, capable of ready and effective assembly or disassembly. Another object is toprovide a light-controlling device for inter-relation with, for example, an incandescent electric lamp bulb capable of being dependably assembled to or disassembled from the latter and characterized by dependability of attachment to the bulb, compactness,- lightness in point of weight, dust-proof, inexpensive to manufacture,

and efficient light-control. Another object is to provide a compact, simple and inexpensive means for attaching a light-controlling device to an incandescent or like type of lamp bulb and, moreover, one that will and adequately does meet the peculiar conditions of practical use, such as wide variations in temperature such as accompany the practical use of such lamp bulbs. Another object is to provide a construction of the abovementioned character that will be neat in appearance and of dependable action upon the light rays. Another object is to provide a lightcontrolling member with securing or mounting means therefor that will be of inexpensive construction and capable of ready and quick assembly with respect to the device itself and which will achieve ease and convenience of assembly of the device with the lamp bulb. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structure hereinafter described andthe scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown several of the various possible embodiments of my invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an illuminatin unit as it may be embodied when it is desired to reflect the light in the direction generally toward the socket or support of the lamp, certain parts being broken away and certain parts being shown in section;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation showing one form which the ends of one of the parts of the construction of Figure 1 may assume;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan View of another form which the said part may assume;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front or side elevation as seen from the bottom in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a similar and fragmentary front :5 elevation illustrating another possible form which the ends of this part mayassume;

Figure 6 is a side elevation illustrating how my invention may be carried out in other forms of light-controlling units or devices and shows a 10 construction where itis desired to direct the light from the lamp in a direction generally away from the socket or support of the lamp bulb, certain parts being shown in elevation and certain parts being brokenaway and shown in section.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views in the drawmgs.

Referring now first to Figurel I have there shown an incandescent lamp bulb generally in- 20 'dicated at 20 and illustratively taking a standard form or shape; it has an appropriately threaded part or support '2! from which extends a cylindrical neck portion 22 which merges into a frusto-conical portion 23 and that in turn elimi- 25 'nates in .a substantially hemi-spherical portion 24. Any suitable form of light source, such as a filament brought to incandescence when electrically' energized, is mounted within the bulb 20 in any suitable way.

I provide a light-controlling member generally indicated at,25.and made .of any suitable or appropriate material, preferably and illustratively of sheet metal, ,to give it a substantially hemispherical. portion 25%. the latter being of sufl'i- 35 cient extent to receive the bulb 20 therein beyond the ,maximum-diametered part of its hemispherical portion 24, the light-controlling member25 being providedat itsupper end withan outwardly bulging and peripherally extending 40 flange ,portion25 thereby to form an inwardly open circumferential or annular recess or seat, this annulargrecess extending in a plane that is above, as viewed in Figure l, the plane of the maximum-diametered portion of the hemi- 45 spherical part 24 0f the bulb. The member 25, thus proportionedandshaped, permits the bulb 20 -to be inserted into it,;the mouth of the member 24 beingof sufficient size to have the maximum-diametered part, of the bulb 20 pass there- 50 through.

In the annularrecessor seat provided by the fiangeportion 25 r es t s and is seated a ringmember 21,.preferablyofa suitable metal, and preferably of a thick metal wire; at a suitable point,

the ring 27 is split to provide two ends which may be formed in various ways, illustrative or possible embodiments of which are later described.

The material of which the ring 21 is made is an appropriate spring material and the split ring 21 is shaped so as to tend to contract and. lessen its diameter, assuming normally a diameter less than that of the maximum-diametered portion of the bulb 20. The ring is made of a spring material appropriate to withstand the temperature to which it is subjected by the continued operation of the lamp 20; for example, for smaller lamps, where lower ranges of temperature are met with, an appropriate phosphor bronze may be employed and in larger sizes of lamps where the operating temperatures reach higher values, any suitable steel, such as a high carbon steel capable of retaining springiness under the operating temperature is employed in making up the ring 21.

Accordingly, when it is desired to assemble the member to the bulb 20, the ring 21 already rests in the annular seat provided by the flange 25 and normally assumes a diameter less than the maximum diameter of the bulb, the device 25 is simply seated against the lower portion of the bulb 20 and moved along the axis of the latter toward the bulb support; the normally contracted spring ring 21 encounters a correspondingly diametered part of the bulb portion 24, whereupon continuing of the movement of assembly causes the ring 21 to yield and to be wedged into a larger diameter until finally it and the mouth of the member 25 pass over the maximum-diametered portion of the bulb; thereafter the contraction of the ring 21 takes place to an extent permitted by the lessening of the diameter of the lamp portion engaged thereby beyond the maximum-diametered portion.

The assembly to the lamp bulb 2B is strong and secure and, moreover, the pressure of gripping or the load carried by the ring 21 is uniformly distributed throughout the portion of the bulb engaged by the ring. Removal of the device 25 is accompanied by a reverse operation and action from those above described; in either case a portion of the lamp bulb gradually wedges the contracted ring into expanded position to pass over the largest portion of the bulb and another portion of the latter permits or controls the rate and extent of contraction of the ring; during these actions the ring 21 is housed in the inwardly-open seat of the flange 25 and is guided in its movements of expansion or contraction by the upper and lower walls. (as seen in Figure 1) of the flange portion 25 Where desired the member 24 may be provided with an upwardly and outwardly flaring lightcontrolling extension, such as the extension 28 of Figure 1; the latter may be made of any suitable or appropriate material and it may be opaque, transparent, or translucent. Illustratively, it may be made of sheet metal.

Preferably, it is provided at its lower or inner end with an outwardly extending flange 28 dimensioned to be seated upon the upper face or portion of the above-described flange 25 (substantially as shown in Figure 1) and by way of this flange 28 it is preferably secured to the light-controlling member 25.

I prefer to secure the members 28 and 25 together by means of a split expansible securing ring 29 preferably made of sheet metal and in cross-section U-shaped (not unlike the U-shaped cross-section of the flange portion 25*), the upoperating member.

per and lower horizontal portions, as seen in Figure 1, being spaced apart sufiiciently to receive therebetween both flanges 25 and 28. Thesplit in the securing ring 29 is shown in Figure 1 at 29 and preferably this for reasons later described forms a substantial gap. Thereby, also, the securing ring 29 may be more readily slipped endwise or snaked onto the two adjacent flanges 25 and 28 and thereby, if desired, one may avoid having to expand the securing ring 29 completely in the process of assembling it to these two flanges.

The securing ring 29 is, as above noted, made of sheet metal and preferably also is yieldable or springy; here an appropriate choice of material employed may be exercised or reliance may be placed upon the springiness given the sheet metal as a result of the U-shaped cross-section.

The assembly of the complementary member 28 to the member 25 may be made either before or after the latter is assembled to the lamp bulb 20; in the former case the members 25-48 function asa unit and as such are assembled to the lamp 2!] and in the latter case the member 28 is slipped over the smaller portion of the bulb 20 and brought into a position of rest onto the flange 25 whence the securing ring 29 is applied.

Where the illuminating unit is carried by a lamp socket of the pull-chain type, such as the socket 35 of Figure 1, in which a suitable switch is operated by a pull-chain 3|, I preferably secure to the latter a rigid or stiff wire member 32 shaped substantially as shown in Figure 1 illustratively giving it the shape of half of a heart outline, its lower end 32 having secured to it a continuation 33 of a suitable pull-chain or like Thereby the pull-chain 33 hangs downwardly along the axis of the illuminating unit and is by the member 32 by-passed around the laterally projecting light-affecting member 28.

As above mentioned, the mounting ring 21 substantially uniformly hugs the lamp bulb, thus dependably precluding the entry into the member 25 of foreign matter. Preferably, and to avoid a gap in such sealing action, the two ends 2'! and 2'! of the ring member 21 (see now Figure 2) are shaped as at 35 and 36 to overlap and slide one upon the other throughout the range of expansion or contraction of the ring 21, these portions being formed by cutting away adjacent half cylindrical parts of the two ends of the ring member 27 and along the diameter of the round wire of which the latter is preferably made.

Turning now to Figures 3 and 4, I may, if desired, provide the parts 35 and 36 with outward extensions 31 and 38, respectively, and provide the flange 25 with a slot 25 of suitable circumferential length in order thereby to expose the extensions 31-38 through this slot and make them available as finger pieces. Where finger pieces extend through the flange 25, as just described, and Where an assembly ring 29 is employed, suitable provision is preferably made so as not to obscure the finger pieces by the assembly ring 29; conveniently, the above described gap 29 (Figure 1) in the assembly ring 29, is utilized to expose these finger pieces.

Thereby the expansion or contraction of the ring 27 may be manually controlled in course of assembling the device to or disassembling it from the lamp bulb, it being noted that, as is better shown in Figures 3 and 4, the finger pieces 37-38 may be grasped by the thumb and forefinger, respectively, and by exerting pressure toward each other the ring 21 may be expanded to the desired extent. Where it is desired to lock the ring 21 against expansion, as may be the-case where the ring has to carry a substantial load or weight or where, by way of further'example, it is not desired to depend upon any 'springiness in the ring or upon resistance in the material of the ring to loss of springiness from heating, I may, after having assembled the light-controlling member with its ring to the lamp bulb, lock the ring 21 in a contracted and hence appropriately-diametered condition by means, for example, of a wedge 39 (Figures 3 and 4) inserted between the finger pieces 3'! and 38, the latter being suitably shaped to retain the wedge (see Figure 3) against removal in a forward direction. Or, as shown in Figure 5, I may provide a downwardly directed pawl 40 on the under-side of the ring part 35 and provide the upper face of the ring part 36 with ratchet teeth 4|. Thereby the ring may be held contracted to its proper diameter and may be expanded only upon unlocking. In the case of Figures 3 and 4, the Wedge 39 is first removed and, in the form shown in Figure 5, the finger pieces 31 and 38 are manipulated to disengage the pawl from the ratchet tooth or teeth to achieve expansion of the ring 21, the seat in the flange 25 and the slot 25 in the latter providing adequate play to permit these relative movements to take place.

As illustrative of how my invention may be carried out in other forms of light-controlling members reference may be made to Figure 6 in which there is again shown the lamp bulb 20 with its cylindrical neck portion 22, its frusto-conical portion 23, and its hemi-spherical portion 24. Here the light-controlling member takes the form of a frusto-conical member 45 shaped to be seated against the frusto-conical portion 23 of the lamp bulb and it may have an upward cylindrical extension 46 which encompasses the cylindrical portion 22 of the bulb. When the light-controlling member 45, made of material such as described above in connection with the device 25 of Figure 1, is thus related to the bulb 26, its lower end portion, as viewed in Figure 6, has a mouth formed by a flange 45 shaped substantially as the flange 25 above described and providing a seat for the ring 21, the latter being adapted to be contracted against a part of the hemi-spherical bulb portion 24 that is of smaller diameter than the maximum diameter thereof, the ring 27 being expanded over the maximum diametered portion of the bulb in the course of assembly of the light-controlling member to or disassembly from the bulb.

The ring 2! and the flange 45 are constructed and coact with each other and with the lamp bulb and light-controlling member 45 substantially as was described above in detail in connection with the form of Figure 1.

A supplemental light-controlling member 28 (Figure 6) may again be related to the illuminating unit and its flange 28 together with the flange 45 is engaged by the sheet metal assembly ring 29, all as is described above in detail.

Thus, it will be seen that the lamp bulb is in effect gripped by and between two parts or portions of the light-controlling construction with the maximum-diametered part of the bulb extending between these two parts. Thus, in Fig ure 1 the lastmentioned portion of the bulb extends between the ring 21 and the part 25, the spring action or the gripping of the member 21 insuring that the part 24 dependably. hugs the bulb portion contacted thereby. In the construction of Figure 6 the maximum-diametered portion of the bulb is gripped between the ring 21 and the frusto-conical part 45. Thus a dependable and secure assembly is achieved.

If desired, I may utilize in the construction of Figure 1 a bulb 20 whose parts 22-23 are frosted, colored or otherwise treated, or constructed, to give a given lighting effect but preferably to maintain the part 24 of the bulb of clear glass so as to interfere as little as possible with the reflecting action of the member 25 where the latter is intended to act primarily as a reflector. In like manner I may maintain the parts 2223 of the bulb 2|] of Figure 6 of clear glass where the parts 4546 are intended to function primarily by reflection, giving the hemi-spherical bulb portion 24 any desired light-controlling or light-affecting action, such as by frosting it, coloring it, or the like.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided in this invention a construction in which the various objects hereinbefore noted together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved.

As many possible embodiments may be .made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or, shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In lighting construction, in combination, a source of light in the form of a bulb of round cross-section, but having portions thereof to either side of a major diameter that are of less diameter than said major diameter, a light-controlling member having portions adapted to be seated against that portion of said bulb on one side of said major diameter and having means forming aninwardly open seat facing toward said bulb and-extending in juxtaposition to that portion of said bulb on the other side of said major diameter, and an inherently contractable ring member resting in and throughout the length of said seat, the dimensions of said seat and the normal or inherent contraction of said ring member' being proportioned so that the ring member remains seated in said seat and assembled to said light-controlling member before the latter is assembled to said bulb and thereby to form a selfcontained unit, the maximum internal diameter of said seat being sufficiently greater than the normal outside diameter of said ring member to permit the latter to expand sufiiciently to receive therethrough the major diametered portion of said bulb when said unit it thrust onto the latter to bring said contractable ring member into engagement with that portion of said bulb on the other side of said major diameter thereby by its contraction acting to draw and hold said lightcontrolling member with its said portions seated against said first-mentioned portion of said bulb.

2. In lighting construction, in combination, a source of light in the form of a bulb of round cross-section but having portions thereof to either side of a major diameter that are of less diameter than said major diameter, a light-controlling member having portions adapted to be seated against that portion of said bulb on one side of said major diameter and having means forming an inwardly open seat facing toward said bulb and extending in juxtaposition to that portion of said bulb'on the other side of said major diameter, and an inherently contractable member resting in and throughout the length of said seat and thereby engaging said bulb portion on said other side of said major diameter and by its contraction acting to draw and hold said member with its said portions seated against said first-mentioned portionof said bulb, said light-controlling member being made of sheet metal and said seatforming means comprises an inwardly concave flange integral with said sheet metal member and said contractable member comprises a resilient split ring member seated in the concave seat formed by said flange, said ring being yieldable for the purpose of initially inserting it into said seat, the dimensions of said seat and the normal or inherent contraction of said ring member being proportioned so that the ring member remains seated in said seat and assembled to said light-controlling member before the latter is assembled to said bulb, the maximum internal diameter of said seat being sufficiently greater than the normal outside diameter of said split ring to permit the latter to expand sufliciently to receive therethrough the major diametered portion of said bulb.

3. A lighting construction as claimed in claim 1 in which said contractable member is inherently springy and tends to contract and is made of a material having spring-retaining qualities effective beyond its normal operating temperature as it is heated by'the operation of said light source to prevent said ring member from expanding into the aforesaid greater-diametered seat, thereby to'prevent disassembly of said lightcontrolling member from said bulb.

4. In lighting construction, in combination, a source of light in the form of a bulb of round cross-section but having portions thereof to either side of a major diameter that are of less diameter than said major diameter, a light-controlling member havingportions adapted to be seated against that portion of said bulb on one side of said major diameter and having means forming an inwardly open seat facing toward said bulb andextending in juxtaposition to that portion of said bulb on the other side of said major diameter, and an inherently contractable member resting in and throughout the length'of said seat and thereby engaging said bulb portion on said other side of said major diameter and by its contraction acting to draw and hold said member with its said portions seated against said firstmentioned portion of said bulb, said contractable member being a split ring that engages said portion of the bulb substantially uniformly throughout the extent of said member, the latter having overlapping and interfitted end portions whose aggregate cross-section is substantially the same area and shaped as that of said ring, whereby a substantially dust-proof contact between the ring and the bulb is achieved throughout and said overlapped end portions are accommodated within said seat.

5. In lighting construction, in combination, a source of light in the form of a bulb of round cross-section but having portions thereof to either side of a major diameter that are of less diameter than said major diameter, a light-controlling member having portions adapted to be seated against that portion of said bulb on one side of said major diameter and having means forming an inwardly open seat facing toward said bulb and extending in juxtaposition to that portion of said bulb on the other side of said major diameter, and an inherently contractable member resting in and throughout the length of said seat and thereby engaging said bulb portion on said other side of said major diameter and by its contraction acting to draw and hold said member with its said portionsseated against said firstmentioned portion of said bulb, said contractable member being in the form of a split ring whose end portions are individually of reduced crosssection and extend in overlapping and sliding relation, said contractable member having adjacent its ends finger pieces for manual control of said member and of the slidable relationship between its said overlapping end portions as the lightcontrolling member is assembled to or disassembled from said bulb.

6. In lighting construction, in combination, a source of light in the form of a bulb of round cross-sectionbut having portions thereof to either side of a major diameter of less diameter than said major diameter, a light-controlling member having portions extending to one side of said major diameter and a part in the form of a peripheral projection that has an internal seat exposed throughout its length toward said bulb but throughout a region juxtaposed to that portion of the bulb that is to the other side of said major diameter, a complementary light-controlling member having means securing it to said first-mentioned light-controlling member, said securing means engaging and reinforcing said peripheral projection and interlocking therewith to hold said two members together, and inherently contractable means within said seat and having the tendency normally to assume a diameter less than said major diameter of the bulb butexpansible to yield to permit said major diameter of the bulb to pass therethrough and thereafter to hold said two assembled light-controlling members in assembled relation to said bulb.

I HARVEY DESCHERE. 

